WORLD

United Nations | Xinhua | United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will serve a second five-year term, if that’s what member states want, his spokesman said on Monday. Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for the secretary-general, said that the 75th UN General Assembly president, Volkan Bozkir, on Friday asked Guterres “about his …

Lisbon, Portugal | THE INDEPENDENT |    Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa tested positive for COVID-19, said a statement posted on the official website of the Portuguese Presidency on Monday night. Rebelo de Sousa had “tested negative yesterday, and although today’s antigen test is negative, it was now known, at …

New York, U.S. | Xinhua | Wall Street’s major averages advanced in the first trading week of the new year as investors shrugged off the turmoil in Washington and a weaker-than-expected December U.S. employment report. All the three major indexes finished higher on Friday after achieving their respective milestones in the …

Jakarta, Indonesia | XINHUA |  Indonesia’s Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has confirmed the crash of a Boeing 737-500 plane of an Indonesian airlines with 62 people on board that lost contact with the air traffic controller on Saturday afternoon. At a virtual press conference held on Saturday evening, the …

Istanbul, Turkey | THE INDEPENDENT |   Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday the mass vaccination process against the COVID-19 pandemic would soon start. Speaking to reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers, Erdogan said that Turkey’s Health Ministry has been continuing its works to launch the vaccination process in line …

  Washington, US | XINHUA |  China’s economy is projected to expand by 7.9 percent in 2021 following 1.9 percent growth in 2020, as economic activity continues to normalize and domestic COVID-19 outbreaks remain under control, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Friday. “The Chinese economy continues its fast recovery …

  Washington, US | THE INDEPENDENT | Twitter has announced a permanent suspension of the US President’s personal account @realDonaldTrump. They join other social media companies Facebook and Instagram that earlier announced indefinite suspension of activity on Donald Trump’s accounts on their platforms. ***** TWITTER FULL STATEMENT After close review …

Washington, US | THE INDEPENDENT | Twitter has lifted the suspension on US President Donald Trump’s account, and he has used the opportunity to concede defeat and promise a smooth transition. “A new administration will be inaugurated on Jan. 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and …

Beijing, China | Xinhua | China on Thursday urged the United Kingdom to abandon its illusion of continued colonial influence on Hong Kong and to cease interfering in China’s internal affairs. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Wednesday that the arrests of politicians and activists in Hong Kong were “a grievous …

Washington, US | THE INDEPENDENT | Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office today for the safety and security of the United States and the world over the next 13 days. ” What happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against …